Fullerton Is Living At-Large

Cal State Fullerton had hopes of wrapping up a spot in the NCAA men’s soccer playoffs Sunday-- even if it meant having to beat the nation’s top-ranked team.

But San Jose State overcame a 2-1 Titan halftime lead and went on to win the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation tournament championship and the conference’s automatic NCAA berth with a 3-2 victory in Titan Stadium. The loss ended an eight-match Fullerton winning streak and was the Titans’ first at home this season in 11 games.

Fullerton (15-5-1) still has a chance for an at-large bid to the playoffs when the 32-team field is announced today.

“I think we deserve to be in the playoffs, but that’s up for speculation,” Titan Coach Al Mistri said. “We’re taking nothing for granted. But this is the third consecutive year we’ve won 14 or more games, so I don’t want this loss to dampen that.”

San Jose (20-0-1), ranked No. 1 in the nation in the National Soccer Coaches Assn. poll, gave up two goals in a half for the first time this season. It also marked the first time the Spartans trailed at halftime, but they came back strong in the second half.

Jorge Martinez’s winning goal came with less than four minutes left.

San Jose took an early 1-0 lead on a goal by Isaias Bardales in the 26th minute before Fullerton scored twice.

Duncan Oughton scored his team-leading 17th goal of the season to give Fullerton a 1-1 tie in the 31st minute, and teammate Ray Ramirez connected from 30 yards two minutes later.

The Spartans tied it in the 60th minute on a corner kick by Lars Lyssand that Titan sophomore goalkeeper Josh Saunders was unable to control. “It should have been my ball, but when I leaned for it I got hit,” Saunders said.

The Titans’ No. 1 goalkeeper, senior Sean Rockwell, was sidelined because of continuing problems with a bruised foot after playing most of the time in Fullerton’s semifinal victory over the University of Denver Friday.

“We felt we were the better side after the first half,” Oughton said. “But in the end, I guess you have to say they deserved it. It would have been nice to have finished this part of the season with a victory, but we can’t look back now. We have to look ahead to the playoffs. I think we’ll still get in.”

San Jose State Coach Gary St. Clair gave Fullerton credit for a strong effort.

“I wouldn’t want to meet them again (in the playoffs),” St. Clair said. “Fullerton can beat anyone in the country, and so can we. It was a classic game.”